The British journal of surgery
-
Nine South African Negroes with abdominal aortic aneurysms due to intimomedial mucoid degeneration are described. These occurred in a younger age group than atherosclerotic aneurysms and with a female predominance. The aneurysms are not syphilitic in origin and are unlike atherosclerotic aneurysms. This form of abdominal aneurysm constitutes a distinct entity which is relatively prevalent in South African Negroes and which has hitherto received little or no emphasis and attention.
-
It has been shown previously that, at least in dogs, a vascularized pancreatic allograft with ligation of the pancreatic duct can maintain normal beta-cell function for at least 5 years. In this study common organ preservation techniques, as used in human cadaveric kidney transplantation, were applied to canine pancreatic allografts to determine the influence of 24-hour preservation on beta-cell function, graft survival and histological appearances. ⋯ It appeared that both preservation methods were equally effective and that preservation did not alter either the graft's function or its histological appearance. No significant differences after transplantation were observed in the endocrine function tests of the three groups when compared with the preoperative values; neither was there a significant difference in the mean graft survival time between the groups.
-
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
A prospective trial of prophylactic antibiotics in hand lacerations.
A series of 368 patients with hand lacerations which required suturing were randomly allocated to one of three treatment groups. The incidence of infected and of imperfectly healed wounds was noted 7 days after suturing. As well as the influence of antibiotics on healing, sixteen other factors which it was considered might affect healing were analysed. ⋯ The imperfect healing rate (which includes the infected cases) was 24-6 per cent. There was a lower rate (P less than 0-05) of imperfect healing in the Triplopen group (15 per cent) than in either the flucloxacillin group (29-5 per cent) or the group who received no antibiotics (29-0 per cent). Other factors associated with imperfect healing found to be significant at the 1 per cent level, were wound contamination, pain and the presence of a wet or changed dressing at the second examination.
-
A case of anaphylactic shock after percutaneous liver biopsy is described. This was due to rupture of a large echinococcal cyst localized in the liver. Diagnosis and treatment with a review of the literature are discussed with emphasis on the complete removal of both the cyst and the surrounding capsule of fibrous liver tissue.
-
The long term results of profundaplasty in the treatment of femoropopliteal arterial occlusion have been reviewed. Fifty patients have been studied with a mean follow-up period of 4 years (range 6 months to 8 years). Intermittent claudication was abolished or substantially improved in 5 of the 25 cases (20 percent); rest pain was relieved in 10 of the 25 cases (40 per cent), the remainder requiring a major amputation. ⋯ The state of the distal 'run-off' and the degree of preoperative profunda stenosis appeared to have little influence on the clinical outcome. After operation pedal pulses were restored in 16 per cent of those presenting with claudication. Profundaplasty was without significant effect on the ankle systolic pressure index both in patients with claudication and those with rest pain.